zb->max->zb workflow problem

[robinmitra1]

i sculpted a head in zbush..and after completing the sculpture,i wanted to map its uvs in 3ds max. I exported my lowest iteration version as obj with uvs disable and imported it into 3dsmax.then i converted it to editable poly and unwrapped the uvs and did the uv job.then i collapsed the modifier stack and exported it back as obj. Now when i import it into zbrush, with the model i exported still in edit mode, the imported model does come into place but with weird messy details all around and its iteration is also set to highest iteration that was applied to the original mesh in zbrush. I think, its supposed to be imported with the same lowest level of subdivision iteration as was exported(ie level 1) and there shouldnt be any modeling changes as i didnt change any vertex order in 3dsmax...i even tried doing the same with the model supplied with zbrush itself: i exported it out of zb and imported it into 3dsmax, converted it to editable poly and exported it back to obj and imported it back to zb and the same problem came out...
its pretty much frustating and this is one of the features of zb to allow flexible uv mapping any time after sculpting!
somebody help me!!

[Jelmer]

Do you have a render/screenshot of what happens to the mesh exactly, that might help? Also, try searching on zbrushcentral.com they have some tutorials on max - zbrush workflow.

[greeney]

i see what u mean i had this problem too, i think the error lies within Zbrushes projection master itself as Z brush makes co ordinates for mapping then 3ds max has a different coordinate system, this seems to miss out tri's in my renders for some reason and the mesh looks triangle-chequer board lol, Zbrush are blaming it on different graphics card drivers i think. donthold me to that tho lol the best thing you can do is just uvw map it in 3ds max that seems to work a lot better than texturing in zbrush for me.

[robinmitra1]

jelmer:i will post the screen shots tommorow.i actually tried this workflow after watching a video tutorial off zbrush central where some guy textures an ancient helmet using poly painting and then transfers it to maya for uv mapping.i used max instead and had this problem.

greeney:maybe thats the problem.but i tihnk u didnt get me.i sculpted the model in zb and them sent to to max for setting uvs and then sending it back to zb for producing textures...

[greeney]

ok now im confused is it the texture or the geometry that is messed up?, tbh zbrush - max - zbrush doesnt usually work for me i tried that last year when making my ninja model, the only way I could get around this was to draw the textures on in Z brush for example the skin texture with imperfections....then export out the texture as a targa file, compose all the texture files in photoshop eg jeans / t shirt etc and apply it in 3ds max. This was a long and tedious process because you needed to cover small areas at once because Z brush seems to put the UVW's all over the place

[robinmitra1]

lemme clarify mate i sculpted my model entirely in zb.after completing my sculpting,i wanted to lay uvs for the sculpt.but i didnt want to use zb's inbuilt mapping features(auv tiles,planer map,guvs etc....) because models like head are hard to map using standard mapping techniques and auv tiles dont allow me to manipulate the textures maps after i create them(bcuz it creates many small squares as against a map which can be viewed and makes sense if u know wat i mean!).so i exported the low res mesh to 3dsmax for uv mapping and then exported the uv mapped version out of it.then i imported this new uv mapped model into zb.now at this point,this new version of the same model is supposed to take the position of the previous model which was without uv mapping and when i increase the iterations,it should have all the details the previous model had,provided the two models have the same vertex order........clear now?

[greeney]

ahh i see what you mean but im not entirely sure of how to get around this problem??? what version of 3ds max are you using? have you tried using 7? max 9 has a LOT of updated features and may have added some extra code somewhere along the line? causing the problems (im clutching at straws here lol) have you tried importing the model into maya then exporting it from there? any change???

[robinmitra1]

im using max8.i havent tried using maya in between, cuz i dont have it on my computer and i dont want to install the entire maya just for this small task of checking if it works
but maybe i will try it still as that might work for me!

[The_Head]

Try using gw::ObjIO for exporting from max.

GuruWare

If after using gw::ObjIO, and the exported .obj file still does not work in Zbrush the way you'd like, then try opening the .obj file and saving it again, using UVmapper Classic.

UVMapper.com - downloads

I am not sure if this will work for Zbrush. But I know it works for getting uvmapped files from max into programs like Vue.
If this works for Zbrush as well, let me know

[robinmitra1]

thankyou The_Head, i will try those things as soon as i get home...